The men kept at a respectful distance from the stranger, who now approached, but shewed no inclination to dismount. Raising his vizor, he spoke to one of the men, and discovered his handsome friendly countenance. "Is not that Hans, the musician?" said he, to the men. "I have a word to say to him first." The general made a sign to the fifer to approach the young knight, who immediately dismounted from his horse. "Welcome in Würtemberg, noble sir," said the man of Hardt, and returned a hearty shake of Albert von Sturmfeder's hand: "what news do you bring? The Duke's cause prospers, if I can judge from the expression of your countenance." "Come on one side," he replied, in anxious haste. "How fares it in Lichtenstein? Have you a letter or a couple of lines for me? O give it quickly!" The fifer smiled at the impatience of the lovesick youth; "I have neither letter nor line. The lady is well, and the old knight also; that is all I know." "How!" replied the other, "nothing, not even a message? I am sure she did not let you depart without something for me!" "When I took my leave of the lady the day before yesterday, she said, 'Tell him to hasten the entrance into Stuttgardt;' and when she spoke, became as red in the face as you are at present." "We'll soon be there, with God's will!" he answered. "But how has she passed the long summer? I have only heard from her three times since we parted. Were you often in Lichtenstein, Hans?" "Dear sir," answered the fifer, "have patience, and I will relate every thing, in length and breadth, on the march: for the present, be satisfied with the assurance, that so soon as the old knight hears you are advancing to Stuttgardt, he will set out from Lichtenstein with your bride, for he does not doubt of your overpowering the garrison. Have you succeeded in taking Heimsheim?" "We have: I rode through the gates with twelve horsemen, before they were aware of our coming. Though the garrison were somewhat stronger than us, they were dispirited and dissatisfied. I treated with them in the Duke's name, and made them believe that he was coming up with a large body of troops, upon which they surrendered: thus far are we in Würtemberg. But in what state is the road before us?" "Open, into the heart of the country, open. I have important news for the Duke from the knight of Lichtenstein, namely, that the men in power are out of the land, do you know----" "Is it the meeting they now hold at Nördlingen you mean?" interrupted Albert. "Oh! yes, we know it, for it was that news which determined the Duke to commence operations." "Well, when the cats are away, the mice will play," said the fifer; "the garrisons are every where careless. None of the League think any more of the Duke, their attention being wholly taken up with the meeting at Nördlingen, where it will be decided, whether Austria, or Bavaria, or Prince Christoph, or the Leaguist towns Augsburg and Aalen, Nürnberg, and Bopfinger, will reign over us."